Overall Safety / Theft while on DIY land tour

[CBBrew]

We are pretty far along in planning the post-cruise portion of our Alaskan land vacation. The plan is 7+ land days with a loop from Anchorage-to-Anchorage thru Fairbanks and back down the Richardson Hwy to the Glen Hwy.....

 

If the opportunity presents itself to pull off the road and take a hike, will our vehicle (& its contents) be safe? How about when parked at trailheads (marked) or parks with a car full of luggage? What if we were to *gasp* have car trouble? How about safety at remote cabins (B&B's) overnight?

 

We currently have an SUV rented so the ability to hide everything in the trunk will be limited. I do suppose I'm asking more about theft of property (car window 'smash & grab') more so than our personal safety ... but yeah, I am curious about that, too.

 

The "seclusion" of this trip is definitely part of the allure, but potentially being alone (husband & myself) without cell service might get unnerving, so I thought I would ask the experts on this board (which I know there are many....).

 

Please don't just say "use common sense" - I get that; we are not inexperienced world travelers, but we ARE inexperienced Alaskan travelers.

Our car was broken into in a grocery store parking lot (in Costa Rica) and we were left for 4+ days with no luggage - - and it was mid-morning in a populated area!!! (not safe, but populated).

 

Everyone in Alaska that I have dealt with while making reservations has been so super nice but it only takes 1 bad seed....

[Alaskanb]

Travel always has an element of adventure and risk-taking :) It seems that your Costa Rica experience has left you a little unnerved and anxious about it happening again; no-one can predict that.

Travel with a good road guide like the Milepost http://www.themilepost.com/, use well travelled roads, check on road conditions, and know where you are geographically. Know where gas stations are....

While you don't want to hear use "common sense" as a world traveler you know that being fully informed and having awareness of surroundings and people is your best protection.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Alaskanb

[Alaskanb]

This is old --maybe a newer version somewhere? https://www.alaska.edu/risksafety/download/RemoteTravelSafetyGuide.pdf

http://snowmads.com/myths-versus-reality-of-driving-your-rv-to-alaska/

Talks about a cell service booster

Edited February 9, 2016 by Alaskanb

[Budget Queen]

There is no answer. Certainly your car can be broken into. Alaska is isolated and you must be accepting of that with, visiting there. There is always, a small underlying risk.

 

There are a lot of areas, to hike that are far more busy, with less of the isolated break in potential. Perhaps= if you aren't comfortable, consider those instead.

[dhmom99]

apply common sense while traveling outside: do not leave valuable items in the car that are visible. Always keep wallet/purse close to you.

[cruiser64093]

I've driven up and down these highways, and cell phone service is something that you get when you get near a town. There is nice coverage of VHF repeater networks if you're into HAM radio, for emergencies. Alaska is a big place!